1. Field of the Invention
The provision of a bandsaw primarily for use in abattoirs to improve the facility of splitting carcasses of animals hung from overhead counter-balances for ease of movement of the splitter. The primary features of the present construction is the elimination of saw-clogging bone dust and meat particles and thereby creating positive driving of a bandsaw to the end that saw slippage of the saw on the rims of the drive pulleys is eliminated.
Further, the present drive means are so arranged that the surfaces of the drive pulley are readily kept clean, as by scraper means.
The foregoing features enable effecting a non-slipping, positive drive construction of the drive and driven means of the band saw.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While bandsaws for splitting carcasses have been used for many years, the same have had limited success due, primarily, to the collection of bone dust and meat particles which are drawn into the chamber in which they become lodged between the cutting blade and the pulleys over which the blade is trained.
The present structure includes means for stripping accumulations from the above-mentioned pulleys in the areas between the cutting run of the bandsaw and the return portion thereof between the driven and take-up pulleys.
Another feature of the present bandsaw structure is the provision in the peripheral rim of both driven and take-up pulleys of a plurality of radially arranged drive pins that are spring-retracted to be clear of the cleansing scrapers of both pulleys over which the bandsaw is trained.
Another novel feature is the provision of fixed cams concentric with the pulleys, each cam having semicircular edge that is directed to cause projection of the drive pins so that the outer ends of the pins are projected to engage uniformly spaced apertures in the band thereby effecting a non-slipping engagement between the two pulleys and the bandsaw trained therearound.
The spacing of the outer ends of the pins and of the apertures in the bandsaw produces a non-slipping drive of the band since, at all times, during operation of the bandsaw, those portions of the drive and driven wheels that are engaged with the bandsaw are trained over a peripheral surface of the wheels.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a saw construction that, in addition to the features hereinbefore described, not only provides the non-slippage feature, but is arranged to have the above-mentioned drive pins so formed as to retain the saw blade from totally slipping off the pulley surfaces over which the blade is trained.
Said pins perform another important service. Since the portion of the bandsaw that slits the carcass is flexed so that the saw teeth are directed downwardly by being transversely flexed by longitudinally-spaced saw-guiding wheels, the flexure of the above portion of the above saw is such as to have the saw teeth directed downwardly when the saw is held in a horizontal position while being used.
The above invention further comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts which will more fully appear in the course of the following description that is based on the accompanying drawings. However, said drawings merely show and the description merely describes the invention with respect to a preferred embodiment, the same being given by way of illustration or example only.